Confrontations
by Iris Marie
Summary: A fic concerning Neville Longbottom. This time he has to cope with other problems then just his parents. Please r/r


A/N:

I just needed to write another Neville fic, so here it is. This time it has Neville with different circumstances then just his parents. Praise and criticism is welcomed. Please R/R!

SETTING: During fourth, but nothing in GoF happened. Which means that no one knows about Neville's parents.

Usual disclaimers apply.

# Confrontations

By Iris Marie

It was late that evening in the Gryfinndor common room, almost all the students on the scattered desks and chairs trying to do their homework. Neville Longbottom was on one particular chair near the fireplace, ideally watching the fire crackle in the hearth. Everyone had just come back from Christmas vacation, almost everyone bubbling about how many presents they had gotten. And Neville was holding the one and only gift he had received.

In his hands was a scroll, and written in the scroll in fancy handwriting were words that Neville now refrained from reading. He had received it before the vacation started, at least two days before everyone hopped back onto Hogwarts Express. Dumbledore had come into his dormitory, Seamus, Dean, Harry, and Ron weren't there. He could still see Dumbledore's tired face, his sorrowful eyes, and remember so clearly his words. "Neville, please sit down."

He had sat down from trying to reach Trevor who had managed to jump on top of the closet, confused as to why Dumbledore was addressing him, and him alone. "Your grandmother had been sick for quite some time."

"She always has headaches," he had responded honestly. "But then again, she always has headaches."

Dumbledore chuckled slightly. "Yes, well-"

"She had fainted once, of course," Neville interrupted, not understanding then why his heart had begun to beat faster. He had stood up, for some reason unable to sit down. He had a sense of foreboding, and he didn't like it. "She said it was just a small spill since she hadn't eaten any breakfast. When I asked her why she didn't eat any breakfast, all she did was smile and not reply. I don't see why she wouldn't reply."

"Neville-"

"But you know grandma. She doesn't want to answer, she won't. Not even-"

"Neville," Dumbledore spoke evenly and Neville stopped his prattling. He looked up, uneasiness overcoming him. "Neville, I have something very important to tell you."

Neville nodded, sitting down once again, his hands twisted together in his lap. "Mrs. Langston, your neighbor, upon visiting your grandmother for a chat, found her..."

He shut his eyes, trying to get the memory away. Damn it, he didn't need to remember this now. Not now. He opened his eyes to look back towards the fireplace, trying to get as focused as he could onto the dancing flames... to forget, for once, this one thing. But, no. His mind had refused him that one wish, and Dumbledore's words continued to drown on. 

"...on the floor, the table spilt. Mrs. Langston had immediately called for some assistance, but... Neville... your grandmother's dead." There had been a long pause before Dumbledore continued. "Here's the review of the cause. The funeral date is there." He remembered Dumbledore try to console him, by coming to him to engulf him in a hug, but he had pushed away. "I'm always here if you need anyone to talk to." And then he had left.

His hand curled the paper up, his fist clenching to keep the tears that wanted to fall in check. For once he wanted someone to be there, to understand him so that he did not need to explain. For once he just wanted someone to care for him, like his grandma had. He glanced around the common room and found Harry and Ron sitting together on the table like brothers. It would have been nice if he had a friend that close. A friend who he could talk to in strictest confidence. A friend could understand what he might be going through without him having to explain.

"Hey, Neville," a small voice whispered lightly, and he looked up towards the youngest Weasley daughter. "Are you all right?"

Neville smiled slightly, staring at Ginny who had sat down on the chair beside him with a book tucked firmly on her lap. She had her red hair tied in a bun, her brown eyes now wide with concern and kindness. "Why would you ask that?"

She paused thoughtfully for a moment, but then her eyes went straight back to his. "Because for once you seem very serious just sitting there with that in your hand," she replied, pointing to the letter that stayed clenched in his hand.

He chuckled. "I look that serious?"

"Yeah," she said, sending him a warm smile. "Need to talk about anything? School? Work? Where Trevor is?"

It was now he who paused, staring at her in complete wonder. "School could be better if they fired Snape, which also goes for work. But Trevor... well... I don't know where Trevor is right now."

Ginny's eyes lighted up, and making a ta-dah noise produced Trevor beneath the book that was on her lap. "Found him peeking in the girl's bathroom," she said happily, watching as the green toad tried to get out of her grasp. "Scared half the girls."

"Well, that's Trevor," he said, taking his toad and letting it go. "Probably now he'll do the smart thing and get into a girl's dormitory."

Ginny laughed, playfully hitting him on the arm. "Actually, he had done that. Twice, actually." She glanced towards the clock that hung above the fireplace and sighed. "Hermione is trying to tutor me for math, since I failed my last test," she confessed, pointing to her math book. "It's not my fault Professor Vector makes me fall asleep in his class. Anyways, Neville, I have to go. Is Hermione here?" she glanced around and spotted her. "Oh, there she is. I hope whatever is bothering you, because I know there is something bothering you, get better. If you do want to talk to anyone, I am here." And with a small wave, she got up and left.

Neville sighed, sitting down and glancing towards where Ginny now sat. Yeah, to talk to her would be nice. Just to unload everything, to gush everything out. But, what could she understand? She has a loving father and mother and brothers who adore her. She couldn't possibly understand. Glancing towards the scroll he held, he felt his heart give another wretch before he crumpled it up completely and threw it in the fireplace. Lowering his face to his hand, he allowed the few unchecked tears to fall.

"Today we're going to review what we all were supposed to do for homework," Snape's voice resounded throughout the dungeon and Harry sat there staring at the empty seat beside Hermione. Ron nudged him into attention as Snape glanced his way. "Mr. Potter, if there's something that's bothering you so intensely that you can't listen to me, I advise you to share it to everyone else. Perhaps some secret yearning?" Snape asked, a sneer on his face.

"I was wondering where Neville is?" Harry said.

Snape paused, staring at the empty seat and Harry saw a fleeting second when Snape's eyes seemed to look... sad? "Mr. Longbottom has other matters to attend to right now," Snape simple answered, now picking up a cut mandrake and throwing it in his potion. "Now, who can answer-"

"What do you think is wrong with Neville?" Harry asked his friends as they walked down the stairs for dinner. "What could possibly be occupying his time for him to miss the whole school day and the teacher's accepting it? Snape wasn't even mad."

Hermione shrugged, taking a seat next to Ginny who was already seated. "Maybe he went to Madame Pomfrey."

"He was feeling perfectly fine this morning," Harry said.

"Who's fine and went to Madame Pomfrey?" Ginny asked.

Ron glanced at her. "Neville. He hadn't been at class."

"Really?" Ginny asked, staring down at her plate. "There was something bothering him last night, but he refused to tell me anything."

"There was something bothering him?"

Ginny nodded. "He wouldn't say yes or anything, but you could just tell. But, since we just returned from Christmas vacation, it only meant one thing. I suppose his grandmother made him see his father and mother again at St. Mungo's Magical Mala-" she trailed off, her eyes going wide. "Oh no! I... you didn't hear that!"

"What?"

"Me and my big mouth!" Ginny muttered, shaking her head. "I... you just didn't hear me say anything!"

"Why are his parents in St. Mungo's Magical Maladies and Injuries?" Hermione asked with her brows narrowed. "Isn't that some mental ward?"

"His parents are insane you morons!" Malfoy said, overhearing their conversation. He now stood behind Hermione and Ginny, laughing at their stunned faces. "Don't tell me you losers didn't know! Oh gees, you guys never knew, huh? Neville's father was placed under the Cruciatus Curse, as well as his mother, causing both of them to become complete lunatics! Just like their son!"

Ginny glared at him and Malfoy pretended to be scared. "Oh, am I in trouble now?"

"Shut up, Malfoy," Ginny snapped.

"Yeah or Neville's little girlfriend would surely get mad," Malfoy spat. He then turned and walked off, Crabbe and Goyle stumbling to his sides.

"What a jerk," Ginny said, sitting down and crossing her arms. "I can't believe he knows."

"So it's true?" Harry asked.

Ginny nodded. "That's why he lives with his grandmother. It's not because he doesn't have parents, but because he does, but they're not... fit to take care of him. He told me during my first year because I accidentally got lost and stumbled in on him when he was... well... crying."

"He never told us," Harry said.

"Why would he?" Ginny asked. "You guys never asked him about anything before."

Neville sat in the last and remote table that was surrounded by bookshelves. Madame Pince had allowed him to stay there for the whole day, and as long as he could, he will.

A big book about plants and their natural environments was open in front of him, his eyes taking in all the information it could. He wanted to think of nothing but this book and it's contents and so far in the day, it had worked.

He heard a chair being pulled out of its table and he silently wondered who it was. But, he ignored it for the time being, getting his attention back towards the book. He continued to read until he heard footsteps coming closer and the next time he glanced up, he saw Harry standing in front of him, also looking at the book he was reading.

"Hey, Neville."

Neville smiled and glanced back towards his book. He expected Harry to leave then, but instead he took a seat at the chair beside him. He glanced up once more, staring at him, confused. Harry grinned, also picking up a book that he had just read. "Oh, hey, look. Gillyweed-"

"It lets you breath under water, I know," Neville responded, still staring at Harry.

Harry nodded, putting the book down. "You weren't in class today."

"People actually noticed?" Neville asked rather skeptically, but then sighed at Harry's now concerned face. "What?"

"You never told me about your parents."

Neville froze slightly, the remembrance of them adding onto the pain of his grandmother's death. He nudged the book's end against his chest and fell back to his reading. "Why would you have wanted to know?"

"Why wouldn't I have wanted to know?"

"You've never asked," Neville simply replied. He glanced back up from the book and closed it. "Why are you really here for? To hear the whole history of my family?"

"Just want to know what's bothering you."

"Yes, so famous Harry Potter can fix all that is wrong and give all that is right, right?" Neville asked. He shook his head, his eyes getting teary once more. "I'm sorry, Harry. I'm just not in the greatest moods right now."

"I've never known my parents," Harry instead said rather abruptly, staring off into space. "Never knew them at all..."

"Neither have I."

"Then why can't you tell me what's wrong?"

"Because unlike you, Harry, you do have it better then me."

"We both don't have parents. I can understand whatever there is that is troubling you."

"At least you have someone there for you."

"Who? The Dursley's?" Harry asked. "You cannot possibly be serious! Ever since I can remember they've been putting me down, rubbing salt on every wound I ever got! They-"

"I'm not talking about the Dursley's."

"Then-"

"You have friends who will always be there for you no matter what. You have Ron and Hermione..." Neville trailed off.

"You have a grandmother who loves you," Harry replied.

Neville now froze, his body going rigid. He glanced up, his eyes stony in a way Harry had ever seen it. "No I don't."

"What do you mean?"

Neville smiled slightly, ironically, and stood up. "I don't. Haven't you heard? She's dead." And with a small maniacal laugh, he turned around and walked out of the library.

He needed to be alone. Damn it, he had to be alone. He walked around aimlessly in the castle, knowing that a teacher would soon find him and order him back to his dormitory. But, the last thing he wanted to do was to do that. He found an empty classroom then, looked like it hadn't been used in ages, and sat down on the dusty chair and laid his head upon the dusty table. He sneezed a few times, the dust irritating his eyes a bit. But, at least he was alone and the quietness of the room was blessedly welcome.

"Oh grandma," he whispered, picturing her kind old face and felt a fresh batch of tears form. In such a long time, he now felt so lonely. So lonely and scared that the tears that continued to fall wouldn't stop. "Why did you have to leave?" he asked around, wanting to scream his fury, but couldn't. His throat was constricted as the sobs came one after the other, his mind now lost to the pain of actually feeling abandoned.

The Ministry had agreed to Dumbledore's suggestion of Neville staying at Hogwarts for the summer and school days till he graduated and he felt thankful for Dumbledore's help. He wrapped his knees to his chest, hugging it, thinking of what was to come. And all he could picture was a blank, lonely room, of him in the middle, crying.

The End

Why is it that whenever I write about Neville, it always has him crying? Anyways, did you enjoy? Once more, one of my very weird inspirations. Please R/R

Oh! Visit my page: http://www.geocities.com/hparchive/index.htm Thanks!

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